Sometime in November 2017, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration or POEA received several complaints from job applicants about a job they applied to online. It turns out that they applied for an overseas work online, particularly through Facebook, which was posted by a Turkish national and his Filipina wife.
According to the complainants, they were required to send USD 120 to 320 through Western Union in exchange for a job in several hotels. The said amount will be used for the processing of work permit and visa. After sending the money, the complainants did not receive a positive feedback on the supposed job overseas.
This is just one of the many stories that show how Filipinos can be “overwhelmed” with a promised job overseas. In fact, there are many aspiring OFWs who become victims for this type of scheme.
Here comes the dangerous part: scammers lure their victims online, specifically through Facebook.
This is how it works:
- They post ads about job vacancies abroad and include a POEA license in the post to make it look legitimate. Some illegal recruiters will indicate the number of slots left to make the “job” look more in demand.
- Once you apply by submitting your application and other documents, the “recruiter” will require you to pay a certain amount to “cover the expenses associated with work permit and visa processing.” You will be given a bank account, Western Union, or Paypal address where you can make payment.
- After you deposited the said amount, the recruiter will give you updates on the status of your job application until you will never hear from him/her again.
“The job ad looks legitimate,” you might say. Unfortunately, scammers will do whatever it takes just to make someone fall in their trap. This is why you need to watch out for the following red flags or warning signs:
- Recruitment websites and Facebook accounts with “POEA” in it such as POEA Jobs in Dubai (FB), jobspoea.com, and poeajobsabroad.org. Scammers use “POEA” in their domain name to make them look more legitimate. Keep in mind that there is only ONE POEA and the official website is http://www.poea.gov.ph
- You are being recruited by a foreign placement agency. This is illegal because both the recruiter and employer have no license to recruit Filipino workers.
- Unrealistic promises and work conditions like higher salary, free food and transportation throughout the duration of the contract, non-payment of processing and placement fees, and other too good to be true conditions. Some recruiters also promise free accommodation and food plus reimbursement of travel expenses for provincial applicants.
- You are requested to make upfront payment through a remittance company. This payment will cover the processing of work visa and other travel documents. Consequently, the recruiter asks you to pay other fees to attend “mandatory” seminars and other documentation-related expenses.
- You are advised to wait for a “very important” email that contains “very important information.”
- There was never a personal encounter and the recruiter insists that the transaction only happens online for “your own personal convenience.”
How can you avoid this?
- Check the recruitment agency if it is registered and licensed by the POEA. Use the license number the agency disclosed and check the status here.
- Verify the job with POEA through its Verification System.
- Do not pay any fees unless you sign an Employment Contract. Consequently, the fees paid must have a corresponding BIR-issued receipt.
- Check the address of the recruitment agency. Simply type the address on Google Maps page to verify if a certain establishment does exist.
Still, this doesn’t mean that recruitment agencies who post job vacancies online are not legitimate. There are those who use social media as a platform to inform the people about job openings in certain countries yet the entire application process happens on a personal, face-to-face level.
The point is be more careful and vigilant. Don’t get too excited with too good to be true promises and work conditions. Remember the red flags and tips on how to avoid being scammed and eventually, you will be able to start your journey overseas.